PSC travels to unbeaten Springfield

Oct 11, 2000

GAME #6: Plymouth State College (2-3, 1-2 FFC) at Springfield
College (5-0, 3-0 FFC)

Sat., Oct. 14, 2000, 1:30 p.m., Benedum Field, Springfield,
Mass.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Plymouth State College will
face the top-ranked team in New England for the second time in
three weeks this Saturday when the Panthers travel to Springfield
College for a Freedom Football Conference encounter.

The Panthers and Pride will kick off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at
Benedum Field in Springfield, Mass. PSC is trying to overcome a
two-game losing streak and the loss of five offensive starters due
to injury, while Springfield is undefeated after five games,
including last week's dramatic victory over defending champion and
pre-season favorite Western Connecticut.

PSC and Springfield have been meeting on the gridiron only since
1995, with the Pride holding a 3-2 series lead. The Panthers
captured one-sided victories in 1995 (31-6) and 1997 (36-6), and
the Pride earned lop-sided wins in 1998 (40-7) and 1999 (51-33).
The only close game was in 1996, when Springfield held on for a
28-23 decision.

Led by second-year head coach Chris Rorke, PSC
is playing its third straight FFC road game. The Panthers are
hoping to salvage the road swing, having dropped the previous two
to undefeated Western Connecticut (56-7) and Kings Point (25-19) to
dip to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the FFC. PSC had its chances against
Kings Point, but with only one healthy starter on the offensive
line, center Chris Belmont (Campton, NH), and 1,000-yard halfback
Russ Massahos (Windham, NH) in street clothes nursing injuries, the
Panthers were unable to pull out the road victory.

Springfield, led by 17th- year head coach Mike DeLong, has the
nation's leading rushing offense, averaging 461 yards a game. The
Pride, 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the FFC, received all 10 first-place
votes to earn the top spot in this week's ECAC New England poll.
Last Friday Springfield held on for an emotional 43-36 victory over
Western Connecticut, bumping the Pride to 16th in the national
Division III poll.

WEEKLY FFC HONORS: PSC had two individuals honored by the FFC
for their performances at Kings Point. Junior LB Chris
Kelliher (11 tackles, 6 unassisted, 2 TFL) and sophomore
RB Jason Bordas (17 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD;
team-high 4 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD) were both named to the Weekly
Honor Roll. Bordas made the most of his first career start in place
of the injured Massahos.

DUALING QBs: With the Panther offensive line battered with
injuries, PSC head coach Chris Rorke went with a platoon system at
quarterback against Kings Point. Sophomore Matt
Simpson started, and was replaced every second offensive
series by junior Zach Matthews. Both Simpson and
Matthews had experience as a starter entering the season, Simpson
starting nine game last season and Matthews getting the nod in nine
outings in 1998.

FFC PRE-SEASON POLL: Western Conn., the defending conference
champion, was picked to repeat its title in the annual FFC
pre-season coaches poll, receiving four of seven first-place votes.
Springfield got the other three top votes and was picked second,
followed by PSC in third, Kings Point in fourth, WPI and Norwich
tied for fifth, and Coast Guard in seventh.

A LOOK AHEAD: After three straight FFC road games, PSC finally
returns home to Currier Field next Saturday (Oct. 21) to host
Bentley College in the annual Homecoming contest. The
non-conference clash at 12 noon will be televised live on WMUR-TV
in Manchester, N.H.